Planning ahead – book your holiday party photographer early and save big

If you are planning an upcoming website overhaul or launching a new service or product in 2014, now’s the time to start booking your event space and photographer. Remember, booking early guarantees the broadest range of availability (helpful if you are planning to get a lot of headshots done at once – another money saving tip) and lets you tap into your photographer as a resource should you need advice or recommendations in terms of venue, best time for shots, or any other helpful tips to facilitate your planning, particularly if you are looking to book a space for an event in Montreal from out-of-town.

As an event photographer, there are a few times of year that I am busier than others. Fall happens to be one of my busiest seasons (more here), as do holidays in general. Office holiday parties start booking up for dates as early as mid November and run right through to January. I’ve noticed over the years, that clients who reach out to me early (as in May or June for bookings in December) tend to get the best deals out of me. I am happy to offer some incentives to clients willing to book long in advance and it occurred to me that this might be something worth sharing, hence this post.

Now it is not too late to book an event photographer or partybooth for your upcoming event, but it is wise to try to start shopping around early. For one thing, you will be able to learn about pricing well ahead of time, and have more leverage when dealing with your supplier if you are willing to commit and pay an upfront deposit to hold your booking.

As I provide a full turnkey, wildly fun photobooth experience (www.lepartybooth.com) I am often booked for events for a few hours that also have event photographers working on pick-up shots or full event coverage. Sometimes I’m that photographer, sometimes I’m running lePartybooth and sometimes I provide both services , working in shifts or with one of my regular photographer partners. I usually provide a discount for bundled services (i.e. event coverage and lePartybooth) and can also be of assistance in planning an event as I have worked at hundreds over the years in nearly every event space in and around Montreal. I’m glad to provide input to party planners and event coordinators looking for ideas – just ask, the sooner the better. I can recommend venues, optimal times for photographer and even help save money if budget is an issue by recommending just when you might need a photographer, and when you can do without one. All of this advice comes free with any call from a prospective client and I am happy to share.

Getting started early on with your party planning will ensure you end up with a well-run event which in turn will reduce your stress come showtime, and enable you to get the best value for your event dollars.